Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Long back Indosungod had asked “Whats a typical Bengali Breakfast ?”. As I munched on my Seven Whole Grain Kashi Bar reflecting on what good the fiber and the flax seeds were doing to me, I tried to give her question a thought. I thought of the times at home when my Ma would cook up amazing breakfasts not only on weekends but also on busy weekday mornings. When I thought such breakfasts were the norm rather than a luxury and turned up my nose at everything that I didn’t like, yes I even had a choice!!!

My Ma was pretty cosmopolitan when it came to breakfast. So even though it would be Macher Jhol and Bhaat (aka Fish Curry and Rice) for lunch, we would have everything from Alu Paratha (North Indian), Uttapam(South Indian), French Toast(Continental), Noodles(Oriental),Chirer Pulao(Bengali version of Poha), Parota-Tarkari(Bengali), Kochuri(Bengali) to Luchi ar Alur Dom (Bengali) for breakfast. Of this Luchi Alur Dom was quintessential Bengali and the one I liked the least for some obscure reason. Things have changed, I crave for some perfectly puffed up pristine white luchis now and spicy alur dom to go with it.

Luchi (ch pronounced as in chair) is a deep-fried flatbread made of bleached wheat flour or maida that is typical of Bengali and Oriya cuisines. It is almost like Puri, but while Puri is usually brown, Luchi is always white.
In order to make luchis, a dough is prepared by mixing fine maida flour with water and a spoonful of ghee, which is then divided into small balls. These balls are flattened using a rolling-pin and individually deep-fried in cooking oil or ghee. A typical luchi will measure 4-5 inches in diameter. (Straight from the Wiki)

Hot puffed up luchis are served with a myriad of dishes according to ones liking and also the time of the day. Luchi with Begun Bhaja(fried eggplant slices), Luchi with Aloo Bhaja(thin strips of potato fried), Luchi with Cholar Dal, Luchi with Payesh, and of course Luchi with Alur Dom are all time favorites. Luchi with Kosha Mangsho(a spicy mutton curry)and at times even Luchi with Aloor Dom is a dinner favorite and served as a dinner menu on special occasions.

So if you have something to celebrate be it a person or an event, a Bengali family will serve you hot luchi with mangsho or aloor dom for dinner accompanied by several other things. They would serve you perfectly puffed up luchis one after the other straight from the fire, while you sit devouring them, losing track of the numbers. The patriarch sitting by your side would show you how to tap the proud puffed up luchi and thus release its latent heat and then wrap it around a piece of mutton or potato and put it to in your mouth in one go. The teenager on your other side might roll up his luchi with sugar preferring it to the mangsho while his Mom might be dipping hers in some sweet brown liquid nolen gur. Do not get distracted, and do not count your phulko luchis, they are more than a blessing, so just enjoy them.

Now me and flour are not the best of friends, but I do give in to luchi cravings now and then and take out my chaki-belun (rolling pin and the flat surface you roll the dough on). My now 3 and ½ year old is pretty fond of luchis and I think for her sake I should brush up my act and roll out this pretty white beauties more often.

Get this much loved recipe in my Book coming out soon. Check this blog for further updates.

To relive a typical Bengali Jolkhabar, I made Luchi and Aloor Dom (Luchi with a Spicy Potato preparation, the D in Dom pronounced as Th in That) for breakfast over the weekend.For us it went on to be a big brunch though, something that made everyone happy.

Edited on August 22nd, 2016: Inspired by Sawan Dutta's Maachher Jhol videos, the girls were inspired to sing a Luchi song. They also roped in Didun(my Ma) and interviewed her on the luchi making process. It was a fun morning, very amateur, but fun. Years later when they look back on this, they will either cherish it or die of embarrassment. Already they have warned me , not to divulge, who in the family sang the song as it could jeopardize their future singing career !!!

Please do listen and hope it will inspire you to roll and fry more luchis. The recipe is added at the end of the video. For more details on what exactly is luchi and the recipe in details please follow this recipe.

What You Need
All Purpose Flour/Maida ~ 3 cups (Though Bengali luchis are made of only maida, I prefer a dough made with 2.5 Cups of Maida and 1/2 Cup of Whole wheat flour. This helps me roll the luchi easier)

Salt ~ a pinch to add to the flour

Oil (for shortening) ~ 2.5 tbsp added to flour as a shortening. Update on Aug 17th: General idea is about 3/4th tbsp oil for 1 Cup of flour

Water ~ to make the dough. I use warm water.

Vegetable/Sunflower Oil ~ for frying

How I made Luchi

In a bowl where it is easy to knead the dough I added 3 cups of All Purpose Flour.I made a small well at the center of the flour mound and to it added the oil for shorteningSprinkled a little salt and then added water gradually, while I mixed the flour with my hand.

Be careful with the water, you don’t want your dough to be soggy. Work on the dough till it does not stick to your fingers and comes out clean. You will get a smooth soft round which is lightly spongy (poke your fingers to see) as seen in the above pic.If you want to save the dough for later use, be sure to cover with a lightly damp cloth or even a lightly damp kitchen tissueMake small round balls with the dough

Roll out the balls to make flat circles 4-5 inches in diameter. Use little oil to roll out the balls and not flour as you would for a chapati. If you have difficulty making the perfect rounds, roll out to any shape you desire and then cut out the circular shape with a katori or any cutterThe luchi is deep fried, so heat enough oil in a Kadhai. Wait for the oil to be piping hot. It should not be smoking though.Dip a corner of a rolled out luchi in the hot oil to see how the oil reacts, if you see the bubbles you know the time is right. This test is important as the heat of the oil is an important factor for luchi to puff up.Release the luchi gently in the oil and press the sides with a flat spatula. The right heat of the oil and the pressing makes the luchi puff up just so.As soon as it puffs up, flip it on the other side and then take it out with a slotted spatula/chalni which has holes in it.

Alur Dom

What You Need
Potatoes/Aloo ~ 12-14 small round ones. I used the tiny baby red ones. For larger potatoes you need to increase the spices.

In a boiling pot or pan, bring water to a boil with little saltAdd the potatoes to it. Since we are using small round potatoes, we are not chopping them. It is not necessary to peel the skins either, as it is easier to peel after the potatoes are boiledOnce the potatoes are done, put them under cold running water and peel them. The jacket is out in a jiffy.Heat Oil in a Frying pan/KadhaiAdd Bay Leaves and AsafoetidaAdd the Onion paste and fry with a tsp of sugar till the onion turns a pinkish brown.Add the tomato and sauté till the tomato is nicely mushed up and well integrated with the onion. Add the Ginger Paste.Mix the Cumin Powder, Garam masala Powder, Red Chilli Powder with 2 tsp of yogurt and add to the Frying Pan. At this moment remove the Pan from heat for a couple of minutes. Sauté the masala till you see the oil separate from the masala.If you are adding ghee, do so at this pointAdd the potatoes and mix well with masala.Sauté till the potatoes take a light golden colour.Add very little water and salt and cook till the water almost dries up to give way to a moist but dry gravy. There won’t really be any gravy as such and the masala will nicely coat the potatoes.

Note: If you do not want to use onions, for tempering use a couple of elaichi/cardamom and a small stick of dalchini/cinnamon along with the stuff mentioned here

If you are a Bong or tuned to Bengali food, can you please tell me what is your idea of a Bengali Breakfast ?

Trivia:Though I have highlighted Luchi as a breakfast menu here, ideally for a Bengali Luchi is something that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It holds a highly esteemed position in a wedding feast and also is offered to the Gods as a Bhog during Pujas.

Hi Sandeepa,I just bought a book on Oriya dishes and they are very similar to Bengali food! I am making Luchis for Oriya RCI,thanks to that book and now you!:)Looks great.Aloo dum is fab too,I always thought it's Kashmiri but probably every state has their own versions too.I would make these for dinner,I know Trisha wouldn't like "oil soaked puffy things" aka Pooris but I LOVE THEM!;DThanks girl,enjoy your power bars rest of the week!:)

Hi Sandeepa, good to see you back and posting.. the dish looks awesome. talking about Bengali food, i remember during my chilhood days we had a neighbour who would prepare awesome food one i can't forget was somekind of mild spicy roti it was soft has some unique spices but i cna;t forget the taste. the rotis were so good me and my sis finished it off for dinner. WE could not get hold of the recipe though...just thought of sharing it with you are aware of such rotis.....

wow ... the luchis look awesome ! i am visiting u r blog for the first time .. but i knw i will be coming back for more ! I am bengali myself , and the luchis have triggred a huge wave of nostalgia !!! miss bengali food soooo much !

YOU'RE BACK!!! And how...sigh, my toast and boiled egg turned to ashes in my mouth when I saw these pictures :)

Yes, you must let the little one enjoy as much luchi as possible, before oils, and fats, and waist sizes and figures become part of her vocabulary. I can still put away plenty of luchis in one sitting, but with a slight sense of guilt!!!

Luchi aalurdam, the thought itself is mouth-watering. While I am struggling with my apple in a working breakfast in office, menu for tonight is done. I am enjoying the 'feel good'. Thanks for that. In any one of your posts can we have your thoughts/ ideas on menu planning? Looking forward to that

I can really identify with all that you've mentioned about aloor dom and loosi(that's what we call those 'white beauties' in Assamese)...and also all the other accompaniments that go with it...In felt I was home:)...do you have luchi ar ghugni as well...its one of my favourites.

A sigh of relief , for seeing you posting again and also for realizing that I have made a bengali dish without even realising that :) CJJ had a colleague from calcutta, but not a bengali as such, and she taught me to make poori with maida...i did not know that it's luchi :)and the pic of your breakfast is seriously giving me some cravings..they re real white beauties!!

Hi...I am a Bengali and doing my MA in Toronto, Canada. I came across your blog and needless to say, I am fascinated. I have even saved your blog in My Favourites.I love your recipes as they are so easy to make. I was thinking of making Alu Dum for a potluck today and lo and behold, your blog features alu dum! Thank you and keep up the GREAT work!!

Missed my breakfast today and you throw this mouth-watering photo of luchi-aloor-dom at me??!! Looks delicious. My favorite breakfast (at home, I don't make anything half as complex for my own family breakfast) is luchi-alur-dom and cheeni'r porota my mom's creation (basically replace the alu with sugar while making parathas)

Yummm Sandeepa. I am getting back into the groove myself and what do I see? Luchi!In Calcutta our landlord taught my mom this variation. She used to add the sweet syrup from rasgullas to luchi dough. They were great too.Bengali breakfast? Leftovers from the previous night's dinner ;-)

Dear Sandeepa, We all love luchi alur dom. seshpatey ektu jhola gur holey mondo hoyna. I also love to have it with a little bit of kasundi. Your mom seems to be a good cook. Does she know how to make kasundi? Thanks

You and flour are not the best of friends, Sandeepa? Do you mean that you don't like to make breads and cakes, or you don't think you have the "knack" for it? Based on this tasty post, you and luchi should be bonded for life.

Sandeepa, I loved this post. It brought back sooooo many memories. Luchi is one of the things I crave the most and eat as soon as I get off the flight in Kolkata. Your other Bengali breakfsts were like a roll call of the stuff I used to eat. Another popular Bengali breakfast was the dimer amlette. With toast. And luchi aloo chechki. Yum!

sandeepa,the recipe and the photo...both reminded me my baper bari's all time fav.'sunday morning' brekfast...now my 3 yrs old son is so fond of them I make them quite often...and today for dinner i'm making Radhaballavi and chholar daal....another all time fav. breakfast item...though we miss the flavour of 'shaal pata' in the daal.............

I had been back to Kolkata after a span of 24 years. My friend cooked & sent Luchi & Alur Daam for my husband, who could not accompany me. He's become a huge fan of the same & has been prodding me to make it for him. U are a star, Sandeepa, for sharing ur recipe. I can almost feel the taste of alur daam in my mouth. God bless u for this. Elizabeth, Dubai

I recently discovered your blog from Sra's and then rediscovered it through your Dum Aloo.I made it and it was lovely. Would have posted about it, but was serving it to guests and never got around to taking pictures! :)Thanks.

Hi...Tried making luchi& aloo dum yest'day.While AD came out well,the luchis refused to swell until I rolled them out really thin..like small roomali rotis and became almost like shortcrust pastry when it got cold..not soft but stiff & crumbly..I used dough to roll out the luchis coz I cud not bear to add oil & then deep fry too..Cud that be the reason??Cuz I make good pooris & phulkas..Help pls..Tnx..

Excellent recipe and the tip about how to make the luchis gole gole as well as about the temperature of the oil. I am cooking myself for some time and find your recipe of luchi the best. They should indeed be white, not 'golden brown' as I saw elsewhere. Thanks!

That looks completely yummy... you know, reading your blog is very bad for health.. I am so tempted to make puris/luchis for breakfast tomorrow and this ain't good for a bulldozer like me :-0Btw, I love the way you write.. really delightful!

This is a block-buster his at my home! I made it second time today for Sunday lunch and my hubby, who is not a potato-lover at all, just freaked out at it! I could never make alur-dom properly before I got hold of this recipe. Thanks Sandeepa for sharing your expertise!

The "bong" is for the intended pun. Outside West Bengal, most people would use that instead of Bangali to refer to us. And BONGO is a very bengali word, can't use it in English, then it should have been "Bongo Janani'r Ranna" :)

Having stayed in Mumbai for so long and the Vada Paw's we kind of miss the Aloo Dum Luchi or the Loochi Ghughni treat. This food also keeps us connected to our Heartland West Bengal. Miss you Janni and your ranna. Happy Pujas to All..

I love all your recipes but this one is very special...Please send me the recipe for aloo dum & luchi...I tried a search but to my vain didn't retrieve the recipe...it was awesome...kindly upload the same as I cannot do without this mouth watering recipe. Thanks.

Happy New Year Sandeepa... luchir aloor dumta tola royilo tomar blog-e, while I just chalked down the Vivekananda Park-er aloor dum to kick start my new year... http://ishitaunblogged.com/2015/01/06/spicy-baby-potatoes-or-aloor-dum-kolkata-street-style/

My idea of Bong breakfast. Wonderful samosas and hing kachori (khasta type), Kanchengola, raskadam, malai chhop and malai roll. Puri sabji which should be lighter than Radha ballabhi unless it is a special day. By the way I am not a Bong but Rajasthani but sing and play Rabindra Sangeet on my Hawaiian Guitar!!!!!!

Long story, this:)...last yr I went on a holiday with my cousins to Goa. We came across a quaint store with a cafe..and had the yummiest grub. The dish that stole our hearts was a simple starter...potatoes in a dry red gravy..the moment we had our first taste there was a stunned silence on the table followed by gleeful 'cat who licked the cream' smiles and excited chatter..I was thrilled to bits for having discovered this little treasure and sought out the chef who told us it was a bengali preparation..(and i sadly forgot the name afterwards)..it wasn't cheap but we went ahead and had a second round of the same! We went onto order our main course and since my respect for bong food suddenly had gone up several notches by then, I went for a bengali fish curry and rice ( the others soon moaned about their continental food and I ended up having to share most of my lunch with all of them).I left that place secretly promising myself that I would definitely try and look up and try out that awesome 'starter'. It so happened that my neighbour was a bengali girl and I HAD TO regale her about this story...and she guessed from my description that it could only be 'dum aloo'( the confusing bit was that the chef had named something more obscure and my memory of ' dum aloo' that I had had at a college fete decades ago was completely different..and then a few months back I came across your blog and this recipe. It was on my mind for a long time to try it out and today I finally made it ..and it's turned out mindblowingly good. It definitely brings back the memory of Goa...and I can't wait to hear what the rest of the family will have to say about it. ( it is so Yum yum yum!!)..I used large potatoes and ended up overcooking it a wee bit..so ended up baking it in the oven( with a ' marinade' of the gravy, oil/ghee and salt for a bit before i added it to the pan..no harm done, I think!! Next up..the luchis..:)...and my bong neighbour uses ajwain in hers..so might try that. Loved your blog and so glad I was able to pin down this recipe that has been haunting me for the past 1 yr!!! I think it was nearly the same as the ' starter' i had in goa...maybe there was a miniscule variation, if at all. :) looking forward to trying out more of your recipes. I am so so hooked!! Rekha

Dear Sandeepa, great Blog I must say.I want some advice on luchis. My Mom's attempts at luchis always end up in tough chewy luchis and not the soft fluffy ones.She wants to add cooking soda, which I doubt Bengalis ever add. I told her to increase the amount of oil in the dough and the luchis turned crisp. Kindly troubleshoot and explain what is going wrong.

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Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine